Food handling apparatus



' Aug. 24, 1937. p. A. MEEKER 2,090,634

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13,. 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LE J m INVENTOR Aug. 24, 1937. D. A. MEEKER FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR iawaw ATTORN EY5 Aug. 24, 1937. D. A. MEEKER 2,090,634

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR wam W 7 ATTORNEYS Aug. 24, 1937. D; A. MEEKER FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS 'INVENTOR Ma.

Aug. 24, 1937. D. A. ME'IEKER 2,090,534

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR w wmw ATTORN EYS Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATE FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS David A. Meeker, Troy, Ohio, assignor to The Hobart Manufacturing Company, Troy, Ohio,

a corporation oi. Ohio Application August 13,

Claims.

This invention relates to food handling apparatus and more particularly to coflee mills.

Several diiierent methods of making cofi'ee are known and in general use and in order to se- 5 cure the most satisfactory results in each case, it

is desirable that the coffee be ground to a predetermined degree of fineness. For example, coffee should be quite coarsely ground for use in the open pot method, and should be more finely ground for the drip and the like methods. Coffee mills as used in retail stores have been provided with means for regulating the grade or fineness of the grind, but it has been rather customary; particularly during rush periods, for a series of customers orders to be filled without adjusting the setting of the coffee mill. Thus the coffee is not ground with the proper characteristics for the particular customers use.

Accordingly it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a cofiee mill adapted to grind coffee to a plurality of different grades of fineness, and requiring a selection of a predetermined grade for each grinding operation of the mill. Selection of a predetermined grade being required, it is a matter of no more difilculty to select the grade desired by each individual customer.

It is a further object to provide a coflee mill of this character having an interlock connection between the grade selector and the motor control means requiring the operation of the grade selector to a predetermined grinding position as a condition precedent to the operation of the motor.

It is a further object to provide a simple and compact cofiee mill which is adapted to grind the coffee in predetermined uniform condition into a receptacle.

It is a further object to provide a coffee mill having a burr casing removable from the mill as iaikunit for purposes 01 cleaning or repair and the e. It is a further object to provide a double ended mill in which provision is made requiring operation of a grade selector at either end of the mill to a predetermined grinding position as a condition precedent to grinding at that end of the mill. 1

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings,- Fig. l is a side elevational view of a coffee mill constructed in accordance with the present invention from the customer's side or the mill;

1934, Serial No. 739,603

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the mill, parts of the mill being brokenaway to show the construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the grade selector mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the grade selector mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective showing the*interlock mechanism between the grade selector' and the motor control member;

Fig. '7 is a detail elevational view of the interlock mechanism; 9 I

Fig. 8 isa. partial horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the discharge outlet on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is'a vertical sectional view on the line Ill-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a broken side elevational view of the double ended mill from the custoniers side thereof;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view showing the interlocking mechanism;

Fig. 13 is a detailed view of the switch operating link; and

Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing the control for the light source for each end of the mill.

Referring to the drawings which disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown at ID a base member adapted to support a casing or housing section ll substantially rectangular in cross section. Within the housing II and supported upon the base It] is motor pedestal l2 supporting electric driving motor 43. The motor supports a projecting grinder or burr casing l5, extending laterally from one end of the motor. The motor shaft It extends in overhanging relation into the burr casing and on it is slidably keyed a hub I1 carrying a friction disk ll. A cooperating friction disk l9, spring pressed toward disk It, is carried upon a member 20 rotat'ably mounted on hub l1, and carrying the rotatable burr 2|. A burr 22 fixed to the casing cooperates with burr 2| to form the grinding means. Rotatable burr 2| is thus adjustable axially of the motor shaft to vary the spacing of the burrs and consequently the grade or the fineness of the grind, and the friction drive provides a safety link to prevent damage to the mill in case of jamming of the burrs, etc.

A removable hopper 25 is positioned in the housing II with its top opening in position to receive coffee in bean form preparatory to being ground. The hopper is substantially funnel shaped as shown, andis provided with a flange 28 adapted to rest upon a bracket 21 fastened to the motor frame. The hopper may be supported 5 in any convenient manner, as forinstance by a pin and slot connection, to the bracket 2'! with a locking screw 28 as shown. With such construction the hopper can'be readily withdrawn and removed from the coffee mill when desired.

. A grade selector means is provided for adjust ing the degree of fineness to which the coffee is to be ground. This grade selector mechanism comprises a disk 30 having beveled lateral edges 3| bearing index marks for the position of the selector. The disk preferably carries two series of the marks and two fixed indices 32 are provided, thus making it possible for the customer on the one side of the mill and the operator on the other to both read the setting of the grade selector member. The disk is provided with a depending operating handle 33 for rotating the tion 53 adapted to engage the end of hub I! to adjust the same axially to thereby control the del 35 gree of fineness oi thegrind. Member 52 is threaded into the disk 30 to provide for zero adjustment thereof, and a locking means comprising a bar 54 threaded ubon member 52, and adapted to be placed under tension by means of a pair of screws 55 serves to maintain the member 52 in any predetermined adjusted position.

As will be evident, .upon the rotation of .the disk 30 by means of handle 33, the guide member 35 and adjusting arm 52 will be caused to move 5 axially to vary the spacing of burrs 2|, 22, and thereby adjustable to vary the grade selected. A latch mechanism is also preferably provided to retain the grade selector means in any predetermined adjusted position, this means comprising a spring pressed plunger 53 carried in the disk 30, and adapted to seat in any one of a plurality of depressid'ns 6| formed in ring 49. an operating knob 52 extends .to the outer face of the disk. The construction is preferably such that 55 the grade selectonmay be moved to any predetermined grade position bymeans of handle 33, the plunger snapping into the several depressions to hold the selector in any desired position. In accordance with the present invention the grade selector is so constructed that it can be completely removed from the burr casing as a unit in a very simple manner. Sto means (not shown) are preferably provided to l mit the normal movement of handle 33 to the off position, but are so arranged that the knob 52 may be manually withdrawn to clear the stop member and to pemiit unscrewing of the grade selector means for complete removal thereof from the mill.

Means are provided in the present invention requiring the operator, as a condition precedent to starting the operation of the mill, to operate the grade selector to a predetermined grinding position.- Means are also provided for preventing the deenergization of the motor until the grade selector has been returned to non-grinding or off position. Provision-is thus made that the operator, for each operation of the mill,"'will be required to first select a grinding position by operation of the grade selector before the mill can be started, and after the grinding is finished will have to return the grade selector to its oil? position prior to the stopping of the mill, so that in the next subsequent operation theselector will again have to be adjusted. Because the operator must operate thegrade selector for each operation of the mill, he can as readily select the proper grade for each customer, and the objectionable practice of grinding a number of orders without changing the setting of the mill is overcome.

Gate means are also provided for the hopper, the gate being so controlled that coffeev in the hopper is not admitted to the grinder until the grinding device has been adjusted to a predeter-' minedposition. Thus the. coffee is not introduced to the grinding burrs before they are in operation and not until a predetermined grade position has been selected.

The interlock and control means comprises a. shaft 10 suitably mounted within the casing section II and extending to the outside thereof. On

the overhanging end of shaft III there is attached the control handle ll. 12 to which there is attached the curved locking finger 13 having a hooked end 14. The locking finger is provided with a suitable aperture for. receiving a control link 15 for operating the motor switch Hi. The locking finger also carries a pivoted pendant l1, movement of which is'confined to a predetermined are by means of a pin and slot 18, and which is normally urged toward the hooked end 14 by means of spring 19. A spring 88 attached to a fixed partof the mill and to a lever 8| on shaft 13 tends to rotate shaft 10 in such direction as to cause the link 15 to move. the motor switch to off position. Shaft III is also The shaft carries a collar provided with the shut-off gate 82 adjacent the bottom of hopper 25 which is adapted to control the introduction of the coffee into the burrs.

A member 85 mounted on a fixed portion of the mill serves as a guide for a longitudinally movable arm 86. This arm is provided at one end grinding with an angularly extending bar 81 extending toward and adapted to be engaged by the hooked end of finger 13, the arm extending through an apertured boss 88 on member 85 to prevent turning of the arm. Spring 83 tends to normally urge the arm 86 into locking position and toward the grade selector member 30. Arm 88 terminates at the rear of the grade selector 30 and in any grinding or predetermined selected grade position,

'it is moved outwardly andinto locking position with finger 13 by spring 89 as shown in Fig. 6. A cam 90, fixe to the grade selector 30 is adapted to cooperate with the arm 86 when the grade selector is moved to its non-grinding or off position. In such off position the arm is cammed axiallyaway from the grade selector in such manner that the bar 81 clears hook 14, the finger I3 is'released, and spring returns motorswitch 15, gate 82, and handle II to the off position.

The operation of the mechanism for a complete cycle of operations is as follows. Fig. 7 shows the position occupied by the latching parts when both motor switch and grade selector are in oil;

position, and the gate 82 is closed. The arm '85 has been cammed to its innermost position, and any movement of handle II toward on position is prevented by contact of pendant H with bar 81. Unless therefore the grade selector is operated to a predetermined grade or grinding position, the handle 1| can not be operated to close the motor circuit or to open gate 82. when, 5 however, the grade selector is adjusted to any of its several grinding positions, the cam 80 releases arm 88 which is then moved toward the grade selector, the bar 81 then moving into the dotted line position shown in Fig. '7. In such position the pendant 11 will clear the bar 81 and the handle can be then thrown into the on position, the motor started, the gate 82 opened, and grinding proceed. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 6.

At the end of the operation, or when it is de- 15 sired to stop the mill, the grade selector 38 must first be turned to off position to release hook ll from locking engagement with bar 81. As soon as the grade selector is turned to oil position, arm 86 is cammed to release bar 81 from hook It, and spring 80 then returns the switch and handle to of! position, stopping the mill and closing the gate. Pendant 11 during such operation pivots on its support to clear bar 81, and is returned to normalposition by its spring 18. Thus a single operation of the grade selector 80 to off position is efiective to stop the mill, but it can not be started again until the grade selector is moved to a predetermined grinding position.

The invention also provides for a very compact structure in which a customers receptacle, such as a paper bag 82, may be positioned under the discharge outlet for the ground coffee, indicated generally at 88. This outlet is seated within a recess 94 formed in the casing II and of suitable size for the reception of a standard receptacle.

This discharge is located preferably above the horizontal axis of the grinding burrs, in this way raising the outlet and permitting the use of a higher receptacle 82 without increasing the height of the machine.

Coffee comprises a hard bean portion and a lighter, more flaky, chaff portion, the latter portion in particular usually becoming electrified as a result of the grinding operation. The particles of chaff when electrified tend to segregate from the bean portions, collecting either along the walls of the discharge hopper, or on the walls of the reeciving container. In accordance with the present invention a simple construction is provided which tends to dissipate the electrical charge of the particles and to provide for the discharge. thereof in auniform and non-segregated condition. For this purpose a pressurechamber 95 is provided into which the ground coffee is fed direotly from the burrs by suitable means such as the rotating blades 2Ia. The chamber is preferably provided with an outward taper as shown to prevent packing of the ground coffee therein. The chamber may be relatively elongated so that ground coifee while passing therethrough is compressed and subjected to frictional contact with the walls sufiicient to dispel objectionable electrical charge. Alternately the chamber may be relatively short and a yielding confining means provided for maintaining the ground coffee under pressure. For example a door or weighted mem-- ber 96 may be hingedly mounted at the end of the pressure chamber, tending to fall toward closed position. As the coffee is discharged from the burrs it fills up the pressure chamber, and

then forces the door 86 open, falling into the receptacle 92. The weight and mounting of the door are suitably chosen to provide the desired confining and compressing action within the pressure chamber, the tapered character of the chamber preventing packing of the coiiee therein. The provision of a pressure chamber filled with ground coffee also serves as a check against the blower action of the rotating burrs, preventing the tendency to blow fine particles of cofl'ee out of the container, 9. yielding confining member of the character described serving to prevent blowing of the fine particles or the ground coffee during the entire time the mill is in operation.

The invention also provides a light source I08 positioned in the casing behind a transparent opening I8I which is adapted to receive printed matter, for example, advertising -or instructional matter with regard to the difler'ent methods of making coffee, and the desirability of the diflerent degrees of fineness or the like. Further transparent or translucent opening I82 in the form of an arrow, located on the customers side 0! the mill, may also be illuminated by the same light source I00. The light is preferably controlled by the switch 18 so that it is operated simultaneously with the operation of the mill. When a single ended mill is used it may. if desired, be provided with a disk member I08 positioned symmetrically with respect to the grade selector 88.

The invention also provides a double ended mill having the same utility characteristics as described above for the single ended mill. Thus the double ended mill may comprise a plurality of grinding means of the same characteristics,

or of a diflerent range of fineness, with provision requiring the adjustment oi! the grade selector associated with each end of the mill to a predetermined grinding position prior to the operation of that end of the mill.

Figs. 11 to 14 show such an embodiment of the invention. The driving motor [I8 is located substantially centrally of the mill housing III, and is formed with oppositely extending grinding casings H2, H8 adapted to receive therespective grinding mechanism as described above. Each grinder is provided with grade selector means I I I and with a discharge outlet II5. Coffee is supplied to the respective mills by hoppers IIG, each having a gate iI'I adapted to control the admission of coffee to the mill.

The mill is provided with a pair of shafts Md extending through the housing and adapted to receive respectively control handles (not shown). On'each shaft there is mounted the latching finger i2i having hook I22 and the pivoted pendant I23. Spring I24 fixed to a stationary part of the mill and to lever i25 mounted on shaft I28 tends normally to move the shaft in the direction to operate the motor switch to off position and to close its respective gate Ill.

The operating arms i26 are of similar construction and cooperate with-the grade selector as described for the single ended mill, permitting the closing of the motor switch and the opening of the gate at either end of the mill only when the grade selector at that end has been adjusted to apredetermined grinding position. The grinding operation at either end being finished, the gate cannot be closed, and the motor switch cannot be opened to stop the mill until after the associated grade selector means is moved to its off position.

The motor switch lit isadapted to be operated by the links I180, one attached to the upper and the other to the lower side of its respective latching finger i2i. Each link carries a member I32 having elongated slot I38, adapted to engage the switch arm ill. Spring i35 tends to move the switch arm to ofl position, and the arm may that changes may be preferably position by either one of the up the switch arm I34, to close the motor switch. Such .for instance is the case as shown in the 12. Simultaneously}. with such operation the corresponding gate II'I right hand portion of Fig.

is opened to permit entry of the coffee into its associated mill. Similar operation occurs when the opposite mill is used, thereby providing for the operation and control of the mill from either end,- but requiring that in either case the grade selector be operated to a predetermined grinding position as a condition precedent to the closing of the motor switch and the opening of the hop-' per gate.

Light means are preferably provided for illuminating advertising matter or the like, such light means being shown at I40, controlled by the motorswitch I30 so as to be lighted when either end of the mill is in operation. The mill also has additional light source I36, associated with translucent openings I31 in the mill in the form of arrows pointing toward the end of the mill in operation. Such light sources are controlled by means of dogs I38 formed on the lower end of lever I25, and adapted to operate auxiliary control switches I39 in the respective light circuits, in response to the operation of the respective control shafts I20, thereby providing for the illumination of the light source I36 associated with either or both ends of the mill in operation.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these forms of apparatus, and

made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cofiee mill of the character described comprising a hopper for receiving the coffee to be ground, grinding means, said grinding means, a motor switch, movable control means for said switch, grade selector means operable to a plurality of grade selecting positions, interlocking means preventing movement of said control means to close said motor switch until after said grade selector means is operated to one of said plurality of grade se-' lecting positions.

2. A coflee mill of the character described comprising a hopper for receiving the cofiee to be means, grade selector means a motor for operating V ground, grinding means, a motor for operating said grinding means, a motor switch, grade selector means for adjusting said grinding means to grind to a predetermined grade, and interlock means preventing the closing of said motor switch until the grade selector means is placed in a predetermined grade selected position, and thereafter preventing the opening of said motor switch until said .,to a predetermined ofi position.

grade selector means is operated 3. A coifee mill of the character described comprising a hopper for receiving the coffee to be ground, grindingmeans, a motor for operating said grinding means, control means for said motor, grade selector means associated with said grinding means, said grade selector means being operable to an oil position and to a plurality of grinding positions for diilerent selective grades, and interlock means requiring the operation of said grade selector means to one of said grinding positions as a condition precedent to the operation of said motor, and thereafter requiring the operation of said grade selector means to said 011 position as a condition precedent to stopping the operation of said motor.

4 A coffee mill of the character described com prising a hopper for receiving the coifee to be ground, a gate for controlling the outlet of coflee from said hopper, grinding means adapted to receive the coifee from said hopper to grind the same, a motor for operating saidgrinding means, grade selector means associated with said for adjusting the grade to which tion of said motor and introduction of coffee to the grinding means until said grade selector means has been adjusted to a predetermined se lected grade position.

5. A double ended coflee mill of the character described comprising a pair of associated with each of said grinding means operable to an oif position and to a plurality of grade selecting positions, means for controlling the operation of said motor from either end of said mill, and interlocking means providing for the control of said motor by either of said control means only when the grade selector means at the same end of said mill has been operated to a predetermined grade selected position.

DAVID A. MEEKERV 

